Jose Mourinho believes Memphis struggled at Manchester United due to 'over-bookings' in the wide areas.

Memphis, bought to strengthen the left flank, was United's first summer signing in 2015 but Anthony Martial's successful switch to the wing demoted the Dutchman to the substitutes' bench.

Mourinho reinforced United's right flank with the addition of Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the summer and claims an 'over-booking' on the wings denied Memphis more chances.

"If I can find a little reason it's to say that he's a player from one position – the only position where we have over-booking," Mourinho explained.

"He is a winger and wingers is what we have more. So it's the position where it's more difficult to have chances, where it's more difficult to be the next choice, because it's a position we never have problems.

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"We have Lingard, we have Mata, we have Mkhitaryan, we have Ashley Young, we have Martial, we have Marcus Rashford, it's a position where we have six possibilities – even Rooney played a few times from the left.

"It's a position where we have difficulties when we want to do rotation. So even during rotation when I tried to rest players, I had like seven guys for two positions.

"So for me I would say with these two things: by one side, he's a fantastic professional and by another side, we have too many players in his position."

Mourinho insisted Memphis' ostentatious image did not accurately reflect his professionalism during the six months he worked with him.

"I think it's difficult for me to answer [why he struggled] because he didn't work also last season," Mourinho added. "But from my perspective instead of say, or try to say, why it didn't work I think it's easier for me and he deserves me to say that.

"He was a fantastic professional, so if somebody thinks it didn't work because he was not a great professional it is totally wrong. One thing is some picture that somebody takes of him in an amazing car or dressing in a very specific way, but the image is totally wrong.

"The guy is a fantastic professional, he's a kid that respected everyone, a kid that worked hard, who tried to work to have more chances, a kid that was frustrated because he was not having that, but I only have good things to say about him."